Don't be fooled by the clouds

One of my favorite things to do is to sit in my tire tube and float in the pool on a hot day, with the warm sun shining down on me. I'm always a bit disappointed on cloudy days when a cloud blocks the sun. I know the sun is still there, with all it's brightness and warmth, it's just out of my view for a moment, an hour, or a day. 
As I was pondering this the other day, I realized how much that relates to life here on earth. The Son is always here with all His Brightness and Glory!, we just can't always see Him because we let the clouds of life get in the way. Our view is obstructed because we are looking at the troubles we are facing instead of the light that has already conquered them. 
The day is coming! And sooner than we think! When the clouds will be removed, and we shall see the SON in ALL HIS GLORY! He will be revealed to all creation! 
And on that day our JOY will never cease, not even for a moment! 
AH! Good days are ahead!

The JOY of The Lord is your strength!

Do you feel weak and defeated? Has life given you a blow that you can hardly overcome. Then seek your strength. Yes, it is God who is our strength, but we must actively seek Him! Begin to praise Him! Yes, I know you may find it difficult to praise when the world seems to be crumbling around you! I've been there. Many times I am laying in bed in great pain, with the world spinning around me. I just want the ride to stop and let me off. So, I seek my Joy and my Strength which comes through praise. I begin, (reluctantly at best) to thank God for my soft bed, my squishy pillows, my warm house, my cute dog, my caring husband, (anything that I can think of) As I praise, I see more and more blessings I have and my strength returns, the more thankful I become, the stronger I feel. And yes, I do feel powerful again. It works, test it. try it. What have you got to lose? Absolutely nothing, but what you can gain is priceless! Be strong! Be Blessed! Be encouraged! I love you, but not nearly as much as God does! Seek Him and find your Joy and your Strength!

Why are so many bad things happening on the earth?

Well, the obvious answer is because sin entered the world in the garden of eden and things have been spiraling downward ever since. But let's explore it a little deeper. Why did satan tempt Adam and Eve? Why did he cause us to sin? Does he hate us.
The answer is Yes, and No. He doesn't really hate us or even care one way or another about US. Satan hates God! He is adamently against God! And he knows he cannot win in a fight against God. He IS defeated through Jesus! So, like any evil person, he attacks what his enemy loves most. And that is US! Satan is attacking God's family because he knows it hurts God deeply! God Loves us so intimately! We are His family. He gave His only Son to save us! Satan knows all this! And his agenda is to hurt God as much as he can until His time is up!
So, the next question is ....why doesn't God just end it all...Skip to the Book of Revelation...cast satan and his demons into the fiery pit and save us from all this grief and destruction???
Again the answer is God's Great Love for us....yes, His Love!!! He is enduring the pain of watching us suffer (have you ever watched your children in pain....heart wrenching isn't it?) because He is waiting for us to receive Jesus. ALL of us!
King James Bible
The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
The day is coming when Jesus will return for us That Great and Terrible day! Great for those who will receive Him and terrible for those who won't. And it will be most terrible for Jesus Himself to have to deny the Kingdom, to those who have denied Him.
So the bottom line is....God Loves us, that's why!